"alim (left) and sadik (right) are kurdish refugees from lachin and kelbajar, areas of the former soviet azerbaijan republic, which used to be called "red kurdistan." they stand after lessons in their rundown school on a day when only three students came, due to the cold - the school has no windows. the kurdish population fled their villages when armenian forces conquered the area. The majority of kurds now live in lachin winter grounds, an area of azerbaijan with little water and difficult soil." [heidi bradner via alexia foundation]

Ukrainians:Putin is an awful, racist, imperialistic terrorist that has done nothing but destabilize the region and spread war and Russian colonialism while oppressing all of those that don't go along with his vision of Russia at home.

Belarusians:Putin is an awful, racist, imperialistic terrorist that has done nothing but destabilize the region and spread war and Russian colonialism while oppressing all of those that don't go along with his vision of Russia at home.

Central Asians:Putin is an awful, racist, imperialistic terrorist that has done nothing but destabilize the region and spread war and Russian colonialism while oppressing all of those that don't go along with his vision of Russia at home.

Caucasians:Putin is an awful, racist, imperialistic terrorist that has done nothing but destabilize the region and spread war and Russian colonialism while oppressing all of those that don't go along with his vision of Russia at home.

LGBT+ Russians:Putin is an awful, racist, imperialistic terrorist that has done nothing but destabilize the region and spread war and Russian colonialism while oppressing all of those that don't go along with his vision of Russia at home.

Literally any Russian that isn't a Fascist:Putin is an awful, racist, imperialistic terrorist that has done nothing but destabilize the region and spread war and Russian colonialism while oppressing all of those that don't go along with his vision of Russia at home.

Chechens, Tuvans and other Russian ethnic minorities:Putin is an awful, racist, imperialistic terrorist that has done nothing but destabilize the region and spread war and Russian colonialism while oppressing all of those that don't go along with his vision of Russia at home.

Anti-Western Communists/Libertarians in the West and Europe:Putin is god. FUCK ALL THESE NAZIS

It’s thought she tried to fend off her attacker with pepper
spray but was stabbed and then hit on the head with a metal bar. Her
body was discovered in a riverbed several days later.

As BBC Trending has been reporting all week,
Aslan’s murder has led to a huge outpouring of anger, not only on the
streets but also online. More than 6 million people have tweeted her
name and thousands have used social media to share their own stories of
sexual abuse. Most of those seemed to be women. But it was in
neighbouring Azerbaijan, where most people understand Turkish, that
men’s reaction first seemed to trend.

The Twitter hashtag started on Wednesday. To date, about
1,500 people have used it, with roughly equal take up by men and women
online (51% and 49% respectively.) Their rallying cry on Facebook
states: “If a miniskirt is responsible for everything, if [wearing] a
miniskirt means immorality and unchastity, if a woman who wears a
miniskirt is sending an invitation about what will happen to her, then
we are also sending an invitation!”

However not everyone is convinced the campaign is either necessary or a good idea. "What’s to get? What inept action!"
said one Azeri tweeter, Javidan Aghayev. He told BBC Trending he
thought the campaign was “Düşük,” which means stupid in Azeri slang.
“Instead of supporting women in a real, practical way, wearing a skirt
or a wig is not going to have any positive effect,” he says. “In
conservative civilizations like Turkey and Azerbaijan, this campaign is
not going to help. Maybe in Europe, but not here.”

But other men felt the Aslan case was so horrific that it provoked deep reflection. “Very big incidents must take place in order for people
to understand that something is wrong in Turkey,” says Cenkal Karakaya,
a male tweeter in Turkey.
“We can’t see how deadly decayed buildings are until there is an
earthquake. We can’t see the need to create safe working conditions for a
mine until tragedies like Soma happen. We become aware only after things happen to us”.

If the point of this miniskirt campaign was to raise
awareness and secure media coverage, then arguably it has worked. Most
of the accounts tweeting images of the men in mini skirts were
well-known news outlets such as Hurriyet.

The debate over the Aslan case has also been taken up by
Azerbaijan’s officials, who held a parliamentary debate about rape and
domestic violence earlier this week, led by MP Elmira Akhundova.

In Armenian they are called ‘Անձնագիր which in latin letters becomes ‘Andznagir' These are issued to Armenian citizens to travel outside of Armenia. They are also used as proof of identity within the country.

The Armenian passport is dark blue with the Armenian coat of arms embazoned in gold in the center of the front cover. The words ‘Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն’ meaning ‘Republic of Armenia’ and ‘Անձնագիր’ meaning ‘Passport’ on Armenian and English languages also appear on the front cover.

The passport is valid for 10 years from the time of issue. It contains 32 pages for special notes and visas, and information about its holder in both the Armenian and English languages.

Armenia abolished the visa requirement for citizens of the Schengen states and for the 27 EU countries and 4 additional countries, fulfilling the requirements of the Schengen Agreement (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).

As a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh War between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Azerbaijan refuses entry to holders of Armenian passports, as well as passport-holders of any other country if they are of Armenian descent. It also strictly refuses entry to foreigners in general whose passport shows evidence of entry into the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, immediately declaring them permanent personae non gratae.

Anna Pavlova interview: "I see serious preparations for the European Games."

The Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation posted a new interview with Anna Pavlova about her goals for this year. The interview is available in Azeri, Russian, and English. Unfortunately the English translation they provide is very odd and difficult to understand even for native English speakers. It’s obvious they used Google to translate it, ha. So I decided to provide a better translation based on the Russian version of the interview. I think this makes a lot more sense.

Women’s artistic gymnastics is one of the sports that will take place at the European Games in Baku. Azerbaijan will have three gymnasts compete for a total of 6 medals in the team, all-around, and apparatus competitions.

Azerbaijani gymnast, Anna Pavlova, is a possible participant at the games. As usual, Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation’s press took some time for a little interview with Anna about her beginnings and other things.

Tell us how you got started in gymnastics. Why exactly did you choose this sport?

-My parents were gymnastics coaches, so I grew up in the gym. I didn’t really have a choice. I started training at 4 years old.

How do you think you would’ve done in another sport?

-I tried a few other things. At first I did music and chess. Then I went to school and got into something else. I had to choose something, so I chose gymnastics. It was my choice. My parents and grandmother were against it. They wanted to sign me up for dance classes, but I wasn’t crazy about the idea. I’ve come to appreciate dance as I’ve gotten older, but I just didn’t like it as a child.

How to you handle your emotions on a day of competitions? Do you have any secrets for keeping your composure?

-I have different ways of dealing with them. With any decision you need to get down to the root of the problem. When you analyze it, you can understand everything. But sometimes things don’t work out. There’s not a whole lot you can do about it.

What do you think is the most important thing in sports?

-Self-discipline and striving for victory.

How dangerous is it to do professional sports? Or does it depend on the sport?

-No professional sport gives health. But it definitely gives other things. To be healthy you just need to be active. The big plus about gymnastics is that you don’t work in pairs or have ruthless rivals. You compete the way you train. General activity is good for your health. Big sports give you the chance to travel. make a name for yourself, and set your lifestyle. I can’t imagine what I’ll do when I retire. I could probably work as a coach, but I’m not ready to take such a step. I’m already used to this way of life constantly traveling to new countries and regions.

Do you have an idol?

-No, there are people whose achievements I really respect. But it wouldn’t be right for me to copy them.

Tell us about your plans for the near future.

-Given my injury, it’s hard for me to plan anything. Right now the goal is to treat my leg and think about the European Games. I decided to return to form for these games and have been working on it for three years. I’d like to be in peak form. I had an operation two months ago, but it wasn’t totally successful. After the injury they told me the recovery would be difficult. I still wonder if I can do it. We’ll see if I can continue my career after the European Games. But it’s getting harder for me each day. But I need to decide for myself soon because this year we’ have the World Championships, which will determine who qualifies to the Olympic Games.

What do the European Games mean for you and how are you preparing for them?

-When I retired the first time, I came to Baku. I liked it right away and decided to stay for 3 years. I wasn’t able to go to Universiade. At first a trainer wouldn’t let me, and then another. After that I got injured. I think the European Games will be something like Universiade with many different sports taking place. I see serious preparations for the games. It’s really interesting to me. I’d like to prove myself.

Let’s move away a bit from sports, do you have any other aspirations or dreams?

-I don’t even know. I don’t dream about anything in particular, but I’d like to make something of myself after gymnastics. The sport is beautiful, but I’ve already achieved a lot, and it’s coming to an end. I’ll have to find something else. I still don’t know what really interests me, but you never know until you try. For example, coaching looks good to me. I can’t refuse to try. I’d like to teach children.

Are you able to combine sport with your normal life?

-Sport is my life. I can’t imagine myself without it. This is my normal life.

Tell us about your family.

-I have a small family. My father passed away, and my mother is my coach. I also have a younger brother who helps me coordinate things. I have a lot of cousins who I consider members of my family. I try to see them often. If not, we keep in touch online.

Do you have a boyfriend?

-No.

What do your fans usually cheer and what do you want to hear from them?

-They cheer everything they want (laughs). I’m really happy when they show their support for me. Even the most usual cheers make me feel stronger.

What would you like to tell them?

-I want to tell them that their support is important for every athlete. Not too long ago we were at a gala in Mexico, and we were received very warmly. Fans supported us, cheered for us, and simply made us feel good. I’d like to thank everything for their concern and support.

Hello, I would like to make a request you to know about the The Khojaly massacre, also known as the Khojaly tragedy, was the killing of at least 613 ethnic Azerbaijani civilians from the town of Khojaly on 25–26 February 1992 by the Armenian and, partially, by CIS armed forces during the Nagorno-Karabakh War. It was the largest and most brutal bloodshed during the Karabakh war. During and after assault there were wounded, killed and lost hundreds of civilians. Khojaly tragedy - 613 lives and 23 years! Became less doctors could grow out of the dead children; fewer teachers who could educate a generation; fewer lawyers who could defend our rights; fewer souls, less humanity and just more indifference. If you want to join a global company and bring your condolences you may share this photo.
#JusticeforKhojaly #26February1992